Short Paragraphs?

[karmadog]

Critics often say that one should write short paragraphs for online stories. They always say that it is easier to read truncated paragraphs on a computer screen.

When I write that way, I feel like I am writing for people who cannot read without a following finger, lips moving as they read.

A paragraph is supposed to be a complete thought. Are we to think shorter thoughts?

PS I think that this may be another reason that print publication is superior to epublication. What do you think?

 

[Weird Harold]

When I write that way, I feel like I am writing for people who cannot read without a following finger, lips moving as they read.

A paragraph is supposed to be a complete thought. Are we to think shorter thoughts?

In a way, that's exactly the type of person you are writing for. 99.9% of people read from the beginning of a line to the end and use some visual cue to return to the beginning of the next line. With printed media, that can be a moving finger, or just a finger placed on the page someplace as a reference. Most people who don't literally follow the lines with their fingers don't even realize they are providing some visual cue.

"A paragraph is a complete thought." That's both true and untrue. It's untrue in the sense that a paragraph is only a portion of the "complete thought" that is the story that contains it.

I've found very few "thoughts" that require more than a full screen of text to express. Your paragraphs should naturally be less than one nominal screen of text -- approx 25 lines of 80 characters.

As far as readability concerns, if you can express your thoughts in paragraphs of three, five, or seven lines, it is certainly much easier on the eyes to read them than it is in longer paragraphs.


Shorter paragraphs are also useful when you ned some dramatic emphasis. A short terse paragraph has much more impact than a long rambling one.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Kdog,

I hate to be a "yes" man (always wanted to be an "ass" man and a lot of folks say I've arrived), but Weird Harold is right on with his reply.

The same thing has occured in newspapers and magazines with shorter articles that have more "white" space and illustrations. Maybe it's another sign the end of civilization in near, but it's also a fact of publishing life. RF

 

[SweetBrat73]

I find that short paragraphs when reading online makes it much easier to read. Due to the fact that you have to scroll you loose your place when reading very long paragraphs.

I do believe the stories I've read with the long paragraphs should have been seperate paragraphs though.

When reading a book I don't have a problem with long ones though.